Six Beers, Six Entrées, And One Great Night at The Red Avocado

            Last week a coworker had told me that the Red Avocado Restaurant was hosting a six course beer pairing dinner.  Needless to say Carl and I were stoked. The dinner started at six and we met in front of the restaurant. The Red Avocado is located on East Washington Street in the basement of an old house.  To compensate for their lack of windows the concrete walls are painted key lime green, the effect makes the whole place feel like a brightly colored wine cellar, it felt cool and clean.  We were seated in the back room at a small table. The sound of acoustic guitar wafted through the air.  After a short wait the first pairing was served. As they brought the beer and food one of the owners told everyone about the first course explaining how and why the dish was selected. He also explained that all of the beer served that night was produced by the Brau Brothers Brewery in Lucan Minnesota. 

The dinner started with the Brothers Strawberry Wheat which was paired with a mixed green salad with lemon vinaigrette and toasted cashews. The beer had almost no head and what was there disappeared quickly. We noticed color variation between the glasses but they both reminded us of straw with some gold tones.  The aroma was true to the name smelling of sweet strawberries and wheat; it was a rich smell, very nice. Our first impression of the taste was that it was like creamy strawberry soda. It was not very complex but it was delicious and light and it paired very well with the lemon vinaigrette on the salad. The beer became a part of the flavor in the salad, enhancing it by adding a sweet note. The pepper and cashews rounded out this pairing by adding the perfect spicy and savory tones. (Pair A-)

Next up was the Old 56 Premium Light Ale paired with Herbed Shitake mushroom canapé. The beer’s head retention was, again, not very good. Its color was light lemon with a floating yeast cloud. The nose was light and malty, slightly tart and sweet with a citrus acidity. The taste started out malty then made a quick change to a tart lemon flavor. It was a simple brew, nicely carbonated and it went down easy, leaving a nice tart flavor around the mouth. The mushroom canapé was phenomenal. It transformed the beer into a wonderful companion full of grainy wheat and yeast and the beer did a good job clearing the pallet between bites. Overall the effect was like watching the steam rise from the rich earthy soil in the woods on a crisp rainy autumn day. (Pair A)

Brau Brothers 100 Yard Dash Fresh Hop Ale was up next paired with a white bean pate and pita. Weak head retention seemed to be a trend with this Minnesota brewer. The fresh hop ale had a nice copper color though, and the nose was very nice. Its aroma was complex mainly consisting of the grapefruit smell of Cascade hops, strong like an IPA with hints of fresh grass and malty undertones. The taste began with a nice composition of full sweet body and tart hops. The acidity grew towards the middle and then the malt dropped off allowing the tart hops flavors to take over, beautiful! Its taste was tart herbal bitterness and as it went down and it lingered pleasantly in the top back part of the mouth. When paired with the pita and pate however the beer overpowered, and only added slightly to the grainy pita. A beer with dominant hops flavors like the 100 Yard Dash should never be paired with a mild dish like this.  (Pair D+)

Next up was the Sheephead Double IPA paired with an orange coriander root vegetable. This time the head stuck around a little longer a good medium retention. The color was a solid light brown and the nose was faint and subtle yet complex. It consisted of a warm malty base with fruity hops on top. The taste started with a bit of hops on the tip of the tongue, the bitterness remained as the flavor became a wide savory malt. As it finished the malt died off and left just the bitterness of the hops. The dish wonderfully complemented the beer by filling in all of the gaps. It enhanced the sweetness of the malt and carried the acidity and bite of the hops. A wonderful combination. (Pair A+)

After a short break they delivered the Scotch Ale together with chipotle barley pilaf with roasted red peppers. Again the head had medium staying power, better than the first three. The beer was a slightly opaque nut brown in color and its aroma was rich and sweet with raspberry. The beer also had a slightly alcoholic smell. The taste started out light and smoky then sweet malt entered developing the smokiness into a wonderful after taste. The pairing was ok but the Scotch Ale did little to help the pilaf and worse the pilaf stripped the ale of its smoky flavor. (Pair B-)

To finish the dinner the Red Avocado presented Brau Brothers Cream Stout paired with a chocolate cup cake with coffee frosting. Surprisingly the head on the stout was very light and diminished quickly. The color was very dark and mostly opaque with slight red and brown tones and the nose was rich like dark coffee with a definite sweetness. The flavor surprised us again, it was light and creamy with a mild coffee bitterness almost like a weak, creamed coffee. The carbonation added to the texture of the beer. The combination with the cup cake was good. The stout lightened the heavy (and delicious) cup cake while the cake filled in the beer, giving it more body. (B+)

Before we left the owner who had announced the pairings came to our table to ask how we liked the dinner. He told us that this was their first beer pairing. We asked him to make a habit of it. Overall the Red Avocado had done a fantastic job providing the perfect ambiance, food, and beverages to make any ones night a true pleasure. Till next time beer lovers and market mavens alike. Prost! 

Devotay A Wine Bistro Confronts A Beer Challenge

            Devotay, considered by many to be Iowa City’s premier wine bistro, was the site of this weeks Beerventure. The restaurant was colorfully decorated with lots of red earth tones. Cloth seemed to cover most of the surfaces. The lights were dimmed and large canvases covered the walls. Our waitress was friendly and she seemed very exited about our challenge.

            Before long she retuned with the first beer, the Two Hearted Ale from the Bells Brewery in Kalamazoo Michigan. She poured the ale into two glasses and then was off. The head was gone almost instantly but its color was beautiful. It was a light copper gold with lots of yeast, medium in opacity. The nose of the ale was fruity and creamy, filled with complex hops aromas. A lot of the elements in the nose continued into the taste  which was beautiful, long and complex. Crisp and tart yet creamy, it’s base was refreshingly light. The hops and the carbonation created a wonderful rolling effect that moved over the tongue. It was nice and bitter going down. The bitterness really came out as it passed the back of the throat and it lingered very pleasantly. Devotay features a Tapas menu. and we decided to really challenge our waitress by asking her to pair each beer with a different appetizer. The Two Hearted Ale was paired with bacon wrapped figs and a red sauce. The appetizer had a wonderful sweet-and salty taste, the figs making it very rich, almost like bacon candy. However, the pairing didn’t work very well. The flavors were too different, didn’t add to each other. In fact, they competed. Each was good on its own but we concluded that this beer needed a more spicy dish to balance out its flavorful hops.

            Soon our waitress delivered the second beer, Xingu Black Beer from the Xingu Brewery in Brazil. Like the first ale, the head retention of the Xingu was poor. Its color was rich and dark, like a really dark red wine. There was a deep sweet maltiness in the nose and also a surprising but unmistakable scent of bananas. Considering how rich this aroma was, the beer’s body was surprisingly light. The banana aroma carried over into the taste, but all of its flavors were very weak and felt watered down. The most movement we got from this brew came from the carbonation. It helped with the transition of the flavors and made the beer very quaffable. Xingu was paired with chorizo in a tomato sauce. The flavor was meaty with lots of fennel and capers. This rich dish added the missing body to the black beer and the spice in the chorizo kicked up the hops. The beer stayed out of the way and complimented the dish nicely. All in all a nice pairing for this very light beer.

            The last beer on our servers list was the Black River Gumbo Stout from the Peace Tree Brewery in Knoxville Iowa. Doesn’t it just sound delicious? The Stout had medium head retention. Its color was a solid black brown that didn’t let any light through. A rich malty aroma with aspects of molasses, black licorice, and roasted malt wafted up through our nostrils as we smelled this beer. The first thing we thought upon tasting was - Now that’s a Stout! The body started out lighter than we expected, however it developed nicely. The roasted malt took the lead and then the bitter hops came through. It evolved into a bitter-tart, full body that went down well. This was definatly a great Stout. It was smooth and subtly complex with lots of different tones of flavor. The Black River Gumbo was paired with Emu Empanadas. The ground emu tasted very light, wrapped in a fine pocket of puff pastry and an awesome tomato sauce added just the right amount of spice. The dish and the beer paired wonderfully together. The flavors bounced back and forth allowing us to fully taste one and then the other, adding to the movement that the stout itself had already created. Overall a great choice.

            After the challenge was over Carl and I stuck around to chat with our server. She was very excited to hear we liked the pairings and had a lot to say about Devotay’s beer selection. After some experiences with less interested staff it was refreshing to have a server that was so excited about beer knowledge and pairings. If you’re ever looking for a restaurant with knowledgeable wait staff, delicious food, and a wonderful beverage selection make your way down to Linn Street and stop on in to Devotay. Till next time beer lovers and market mavens alike. Prost!

Shorts Burger and Shine

Shorts burger and shine has been well known for their delicious local beef since 2008. Angie and I met Carl and his dad Bernie there on Wednesday, by the time we arrived Carl and Bernie had already snagged a booth in the cozy little joint. The walls were red brick and the tables and booths were a black stained wood. The decor gave the whole place a nice cool feel.  Bernie wanted to watch more than participate, so he ordered his own burger and beer. Angie Carl and I however wanted to be daring and we all agreed shorts deserved a real challenge.  We asked our waitress for three burgers and three beers to match. She took to the challenge pretty well informing us that shorts performs regular pairing dinners for their employees and distributers.

            The food and beers arrived fairly quickly. Our three paired beers a Budweiser from Anheuser Busch Brewery in St Louis Missouri , a Pacifico from Pacifico breweries in Mexico, and the Red Rambler Ale from Peace Tree Brewery in Knoxville Iowa seemed like bold choices. We were all most surprised by the Budweiser, having looked at the beer list we all knew there were much more complex beers that could have been chosen. The burgers were laid out next to their corresponding beers; as soon as the waitress had left we began tasting everything. 

First up was the Budweiser, the color was as we expected a light yellow that was very transparent.  The decent head stayed around for a while but didn’t stick to the glass very well. The little aroma we could smell consisted mostly of malt and yeast.  The flavor was watery near the beginning and end but the beer had a nice wide mouth feel mostly of malt with very little in the way of hops. Paired with the Budweiser was the Dundee a truly all American burger. The Dundee consisted of mushrooms, bacon, garlic aioli, and to top it off a fried egg.  The burger had a full rich flavor and the Budweiser did an excellent job of refreshing the pallet after each bite. Overall the pairing was good the burger was excellent and the beer was ok.

Next on the menu we had la cerveca de Pacifico. As it poured we all noticed the lack of head retention. Only seconds after filling the glass the foam was gone.  The nose had a very distinct malt character and the color was very light with a hint of gold. The flavor once again was very light and simple, the malt started early with a little hops. There were really no great characteristics to this beer. The Pacifico was paired with a burger called the El Dorado. It had guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and pepper jack cheese. We all had to agree shorts hit the nail on the head with this pair.  The burger itself was fantastic and the first sip of Pacifico took the flavor experience to the next level. The savory, spicy flavors of the burger brought out a corn flavor in the malt of the beer and likewise the crisp lager kicked up the spice of the burger. Overall this pair was amazing, truly what pairing is all about. The burger was great and the Pacifico was unexpectedly unique.

The final beer for the night was a favorite of ours, the Red Rambler. Even after sitting for a good twenty minutes it still retained its head nicely.  The color was true to the beers name it was a bright ruby red with a slight hint of orange. A multitude of hoppy citrus flavors with hints of orange and rich malt created a very pleasant aroma. This beers taste hit with a mouthful of malt that was spearheaded by a nice hoppy bite. It rolled pleasantly over the tongue and erupted in citrusy and hoppy flavors as it went down.  The Rambler was paired with the Baxter, a very meaty burger featuring bacon, provolone cheese, chipotle mayo, and a blackened seasoning.  The floral hops and the rich savory flavors melded very well which allowed the burger to calmly back the exciting beer taste. Overall this pair as well was wonderful, the burger was simple but delicious and the beer was very well crafted.

            Although at the beginning Carl’s dad was reluctant to participate in our quirky tradition by the end of dinner he was tasting and assessing right along with us.  Shorts performed just as we had hoped they would. They had provided us with interesting, bold and unique pairs for some of their famously delicious burgers. If you ever find yourself in the mood for a burger and some shine make your way on down to Shorts where you’re never likely to be disappointed. Until next time beer lovers and market mavens alike. Prost!!   

A Trip To The Vine

     The Vine Restaurant in Coralville was totally decked out in Hawkeye gear.  It was a huge space with very tall ceilings. All of the tables and floors were made of dark stained wood and there were televisions everywhere. The host sat us by the bar at a high top table, and when the waitress heard our challenge she didn’t seem very excited.  After a few minutes and apparently without much thought, she delivered the first beer.

Her choice, Stella Artois the light lager from Leuven Belgium, was something Carl and I were both very familiar with. The head retention on the lager was good and the color was golden through and through. Overall the nose was pretty mild, sweet with the pleasant aroma of yeast; the sweetness was almost like cooked apples. Tasting, the beer started out as a flavourless body, provided by the malt. It then developed a yeasty tart flavor that soon gave way to a tart taste of hops and carbonation. Finally this composition moved to the back of the mouth and the tip of the tongue. It lingered with hints of yeast. Altogether Stella was quaffable and nice to drink but it was nothing special.

             Next the waitress brought a 312 Urban Wheat from the Goose Island Brewery in Chicago. The head retention in the wheat beer was very poor, it disappeared almost immediately. The color was straw yellow with a slight yeast cloud. The aroma was light but had undertones of rich citrus, tangerines, with a slight hint of hops. We also smelled a slightly chemical odor that we decided was sanitizer left over on the glass. The flavor had very little movement it was yeasty from the beginning to the finish and sort of watery with a bit of quickly disappearing hops. Only a slight tartness remained as an aftertaste. Overall the 312 was pretty plain, quaffable enough if you don’t care for flavor, but nothing we would order out of a greater beer selection.  

            Last on our waitresses list was the New Castle Brown Ale from New Castle, England.  The head was nice and full and the color was a beautiful dark ruby red. The nose was simple, it was like soured malt. The first taste let us know that the beer was not often served, it had oxidized slightly and left an unpleasant aftertaste. The clear bottle didn’t help any for sure, I’ve personally never understood why anyone who cares about their beer would use clear bottles. The flavor started out light and developed late on the tongue into a brown sugar malt with a mild hoppy tartness that sat on top. There was no grand taste for the New Castle, really it didn’t have much going on. Its body was very light for a brown ale and it certainly lacked any roasted aroma or flavor.

            The Appetizer didn’t particularly mach any of the selected beers. It was a buffalo chicken quesadilla.  It wasn’t bad but it seemed like there was no effort made to pair the food with the drink. As we finished up Carl and I approached the bar to have a look at their tap selection and we noticed that the Vine had a house beer. Needless to say we weren’t sure why our server had not chosen it.

We were truly shocked by the performance of the Vine.  The service was mediocre, the selection was paltry and there was a serious lack of participation on the waitress’s part. For any one who likes to enjoy good food and good drink I would warn against the popularity of the Vine and recommend one of the other fine restaurants in lovely downtown Iowa City instead. Till next time, beer lovers and market mavens alike. Prost! 

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The Beerventure visits Donnelly's

Carl and I met this week for our favorite weekly tradition at Donnelly’s pub.  Donnelly’s is located in Iowa Cities Ped Mall across from the Field House.  The bar is Irish themed and it seemed to transport us to a different part of the world. Carl and I spotted the only empty booth as we made our way to the back of the restaurant.  We looked around and noticed the large Guinness themed mirrors. Both the bar and the booths were made of a dark wood and everything had an old and worn look to it. Our waitress was a little shocked to hear our unique order and asked if she could rely on the bartender for help. After we decided it would be ok she headed straight for the bar. 

Soon she retuned with three beers. The first was a bottled Harp Lager from the Guinness brewery in Ireland, next was an Agave Wheat from Breckenridge brewery in Breckenridge Colorado presented in a glass, and last was the Hoptoberfest from New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins Brewery also served in a bottle.

We started our tour with the Harp Lager. When poured this lager formed a nice head that stuck around, the color was a light and transparent yellow leaning towards gold.  It featured an aroma that was light and kept the malt and hops in balance. It was topped by a hint of yeast. Going down the Harp started with a wonderful fresh hop burst and a little bite, the malt seemed cradled by the lightly, citrusy and fresh hops. It was slightly heavier than a traditional American light lager, and left a nice refreshing taste on the tongue even after the beer was finished.

The Agave wheat was next on the list. We admired the beer in its glass noticing its amber color and opaque yeast cloud. We also noticed that the head had mostly died down. As we gave this brew a smell we were both shocked by what we found. There was no aroma, at least nothing discernable just a kind of wet smell.  The flavor was almost as intriguing. It started out very wide and equally mild. We were reminded of drinking a weak tea; it had body but almost no flavor. What was there, tasted like yeast with the slightest bitterness of hops. Overall it was smooth and edgeless, but neither of us could ever imagine craving such a one dimensional flavorless beer.

Last on the list was the Hoptoberfest. The brew poured amber gold with a nice head that started fading pretty quickly.  The nose was potent; reminiscent of an IPA with lots of aromatic hops. It was fresh and biting with pleasant malt undertones.  The golden ale tasted much like an IPA, but it had the body of an amber ale. It rolled onto the tongue with lots of creamy malt and proceeded into a mild hop flavor with just a hint of a floral bouquet.  The hop flavor moved towards the back of the mouth where the flavor spiked into bitterness before it left a nice long aftertaste. Complex and exciting with lots of mouth movement this beer was full of action.  The malt was balanced perfectly creating a wonderful stage for the hops to play on.

We can’t remember quite when but at some point the waitress brought a huge plate of fried onion rings that sat in the center of the table. As we tasted Carl and I had also been munching on the rings which were delicious.  Although we both admitted they were probably not the most unique pair we’d ever seen they did go great with all of the beers.

Overall the Hoptoberfest stood out of the crowd in this batch of competitors.  Its complexity and structure were far superior to either the lager or the wheat beer. The Guinness brewery had done well with the Harp lager, but the Breckenridge Agave wheat was a real disappointment.  Breckenridge is a good brewery from what we’ve seen but they have to add flavor to their beers if they want to compete in the ever expanding world of craft brewing. 

Although their selection may not be the best in Iowa City, Donnelly’s pub may be the closest you’ll get to a real Irish drinking experience this side of the pond. Till next time beer lovers and market mavens alike. Prost!